The tech misconception that has Mercedes giggling

There's a theory in the Formula 1 paddock that a secret tech trick is behind Mercedes' leap from great to unbeatable in the 2019 season so far. Here's why that theory leaves Mercedes amused

Mercedes' bad days have changed. Last year, when it narrowly edged Ferrari over the course of the Formula 1 season, it lost a massive chunk of performance in Monaco.

The champion team slipped to third-best, its performance, percentage-wise, dropped a whopping 0.596%: in other terms, more than half a second around a 90-second lap. It was a phenomenon not unexpected of a longer wheelbase car prioritised to medium/high-speed corners and a straightline speed edge that had become tradition in the V6 turbo-hybrid engine era, encountering a track that featured few of the elements that design concept thrived on.